One of the most outstanding catches in the history of Irvine Lake took place on Sunday, when Pacific Coast Sportfishing Magazine publisher Bill DePriest of Newport Beach caught and released a massive sturgeon that would have threatened the existing International Game Fish Association World Record of 81-8 for the species in the 6-pound line class.

"I was in my 12-foot Livingston skiff", related DePriest. "The fight took almost 2 hours. My 2 and 4-year old kids and my dad were with me, and I of all people should have known to have a camera aboard. With all the mayhem, my 2-year old almost fell out of the boat twice. The thing jumped and greyhounded like a marlin a couple of times!

"The fish was 6 feet long, and its girth was so huge I could not get my arms around it. I'm glad we released it, because dragging it into the boat and up to the shop to be weighed would surely have killed it. My local taxidermist has a mold for a 6-foot white sturgeon, so I am having one made.

"We were trolling with a chrome dodger and a small pink hoochy off a downrigger, and the hook was right in his mouth. I was using a Phenix FX802 rod, custom built by Ed Robinson of Whopper Stopper Rods, with a Shimano Symetre reel and 6-pound Sufix Fluorocarbon line."

Due to DePriest's unselfish careful handling and release of the big fish, an exact weight could not be determined, and no photographs were taken. An average 72-inch white sturgeon caught up in the California Delta will weigh about 80 pounds, and a "fat" one will weigh around 100 pounds. At minimum, DePriest's fish was within ounces of the current IGFA world record, and was potentially several pounds heavier.

It would also easily exceed the "official" record for the species at Irvine Lake; a 49-pounder caught in 2009 by Ronson "Catman" Smothers. Interestingly, the Irvine Lake record for rainbow trout was also caught by an experienced saltwater big game fish angler from Orange County. The current record 22-6 rainbow was caught by Newport Beach's Greg Stotesbury in 2009. Best trout catches were reported from the west shoreline, with some limit stringers also checked in from Woody's Cove, Santiago Flats, and Boat Dock Cove. Most of the trout on the stringers were solid 2 to 3-pounders, with a nice sprinkling of better-grade rainbows from 4 to 9 pounds.

Trollers found the trout up and chasing shad at mid-lake. Accordingly, natural-colors like silver/black, brown trout, and brook trout were best in the CD05 size Rapala Countdowns. Along the west shore and mid-lake was best for trollers, with the dam restriction lines and the flats also yielding some nice catches.

The few anglers who ventured out for catfish found limit-style action on 2 to 5-pound whiskerfish while using mackerel and shrimp at the flats. Bass anglers found generally slow action on dropshot baits at 40 feet at Rocky Point. A few crappie were caught incidentally by trout trollers.

Families with children age 12 and under found good action on trout and carp in the Kids Lagoon on PowerBait. Surface temperature on the main lake is 61-62 degrees, with water clarity rated as fair at 3 to 4 feet.

Management has announced that until further notice, launching of kayaks and float tubes will be free. Last week's postponed Veteran's Day Tournament will take place this weekend on Nov. 19-20.